ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My younger brother and I grew up in the same house but had very different experiences with our father. As kids, I always felt like Dad was harder on me. He was quick to criticize and slow to show affection while my brother seemed to get the best part of him.

Now that we're adults, I thought we could finally talk about it, but ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a high school senior who usually sits with my friend Oliver in English class. I've known him for about a year and we get along very well and hang out outside of school since we only have one class together.

We don't actually talk much in this class. I've noticed he has difficulty focusing so he can't be distracted from ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, I host Thanksgiving for my family, and every year I start out with the same hopeful thought: "This time will be different." I picture everyone laughing, passing dishes around, maybe even helping with the cleanup without being asked. But by the time the turkey is carved, the dream has gone up in smoke along with the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I had a child with "Richard," whom I met 10 years ago. I was married at the time but had been separated from my husband, "Eddy," for nine months. Richard and I hit it off well; I was very attracted to him. Five months after we met, I accidentally became pregnant. When Richard found out, he bolted. We stayed in contact, and he met our ...Read more

After a ten-hour overnight bus ride, our small Sister Cities delegation of four from Las Cruces arrived in Lerdo. Tired and rumpled, we were met by some of their Sister Cities committee; the rest would be at breakfast. One member came up to us with two posters welcoming us, signaling the start of an enthusiasm hard to find in public life.

At ...Read more

Dear Annie: My youngest just left for college, and the quiet in this house feels deafening. For more than 20 years, my whole world revolved around being a mom. My days were built around carpools, practices, grocery lists and late-night talks in the kitchen. Now the rooms are still, the laundry baskets are empty, and I find myself standing in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter is asking me to apologize to her boyfriend, "Harry," for yelling at him when I was helping them move six years ago. (I had traveled 250 miles to help.) The day of the move, Harry didn't take the day off work, so he wasn't there to help. (They had a second-floor unit with no elevator.) When he finally did show up, he ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend and I have been dating for eight years. We started a bit young, but I feel concerned that maybe he does not see himself marrying me anymore. We used to talk about marriage, especially because all his older siblings had partners and at family gatherings we'd talk about their timelines, and we've seen two of them get ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I've encountered a lot of fuss about the pervasiveness of the nonapology: e.g., "I'm sorry you're so sensitive" or "I'm sorry you feel that way."

But what is one to say to acknowledge another's injury, while reinforcing that you are NOT sorry and fully stand by your actions? Particularly in a social setting in which silence ...Read more

Dear Annie: Hoping you can offer some advice! My son has been married for six years to a beautiful girl who rarely speaks to us and acts as though we don't exist. Her distance has gotten much worse over time, and we have no idea why. We love her and are just as kind to her as we are to our other kids and their wives. My husband and I are so ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am 40 and single, with no children and no girlfriend. For many years, it has become increasingly difficult to get my parents to come to my home for dinner. They live only 45 minutes away. Both are retired and healthy. As anyone who knows me can attest, my home is always clean, smells great and I love to cook.

Abby, it's a miracle ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend always changes her story when it comes to small things, but I feel like the accumulation of all these small inconsistencies is starting to get to me. For example, she was just talking about how she plans to work at the company we both work at for five more years, but then not even two minutes later, she mentioned ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a very close friend I have known for a long time. I enjoy seeing her and her husband. However, whenever we go out to dinner, she always tells me to make the restaurant reservation, as supposedly I know all the places to go to.

Once we are at the restaurant, she always complains about the food. Last time, there were not...Read more